Anne-Marie Martin
Ani Martin is a poet living in the hills above Los Angeles. She received her BFA in screenwriting from USC Cinema Arts and her master’s in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica. She has worked on a hospice team, run a wine and olive oil vineyard in the Napa Valley, and is the proud mother of two inspiring daughters.
You can find more of her work at https://www.animartinwrites.com
From the River to the Lake
by Anne-Marie Martin
Issue 79, Winter 2025
You suspect it’s over
that rush that happens
when you’re young
and happy to get naked.
No more rapids
to sweep you off the shore,
scraping your knees and elbows
on the river bottom.
The love you have now
has brought you here
to this lake—warm and buoyant.
You can dive down anytime,
show your toes to an amused sky.
Or swim laps!
You’re not always in the mood
to swim—but the lake massages
your tired body
and all that fast breathing
brings you back alive.
Any injuries from the river
have long healed—or been forgiven.
But sometimes,
you find yourself greeting
the incoming tributaries
with flickering fingers
and open hands.
What a ride that water
has taken to reach you!
What a ride.